Merry Christmas

Holiday Fun With Family and Friends

This Past Thanksgiving Fun

We enjoyed joining the kids in their Thanksgiving tradition this year.

Baked Orzo With Tomatoes, Roasted Peppers and Zucchini

Published in NYtimes: August 10, 2009 (we made last month.....YUM)

Orzo is a type of pasta that looks like rice. It’s popular in Greece, where it is baked in casseroles like this one. If you like comforting dishes like macaroni and cheese, you’ll like this.

1/2 pound orzo (about 1 1/8 cups)Salt to taste
1 large red pepper, roasted and diced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 or 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), minced
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan or 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1/2 cup, tightly packed)

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the orzo. Cook eight minutes, or until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the diced roasted pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet. Add the zucchini and cook — stirring and turning over the slices, or tossing them in the pan — until just cooked through and lightly colored, about five minutes. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo.

3. Return the pan to the heat, add the final tablespoon of oil and the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo, add the Parmesan or goat cheese, and mix everything together. Add freshly ground pepper to taste, and adjust salt. Transfer to the baking dish.

4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is just beginning to color. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: Serves six.
Advance preparation: You can assemble this several hours, even a day, before baking.

Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our rural ancestors, with little blest,
Patient of labour when the end was rest,
Indulged the day that housed their annual grain,
With feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain.
~Alexander Pope~

Movies To Watch Over Thanksgiving:

Everybody's Fine

Julie & Julia

Pieces Of April

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

The Man Who Came To Dinner

Hannah And Her Sisters

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

My Sassy Girl

Wedding Date

Friends With Money

Lovely And Amazing
The Darjeeling Limited
The Royal Tenenbaums
Everyone Says I Love You

Arkansas Bride

Arkansas Bride did a little write up on my sister's wedding....

http://www.inarkansas.com/article/arkansas-bride/27672/real-wedding-ashley-duncan-david-buyse-in-little-rock.

Fall In New York

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  

Method
No need for a mixer for this recipe.  Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).  With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.  Add the flour last, mix.  Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour.  Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Makes one loaf.

Birthday Girl

Celebrating birthdays is something we enjoy in our home.  Here are some moments of celebrating.....

 My friends at school made this one so special for me - I love these guys!

 

One of my lifelong friends was in the city for the marathon festivities.  

It was so great to spend time with her - we always enjoyed celebrating our bdays together in years past. We were born one month a part and on our bdays we would decorate the school with old photos and sing happy birthday to each other over the school intercom.  Our other life long 'bestie' Jenny was a part of all this too.

Aunt Jeanne took us to dinner for my birthday - she is so thoughtful - such a love. 

And They're Off...

NYC Marathon

We have a couple of friends running today, Jason and Kevin.  There was a neat article in the NY Times yesterday on Kevin who is running to raise money in support of cystic fibrosis research.  What an inspiring day!

Kids & Halloween Fun

Good Weather - Good Fun!

Lemon Caper Fish & Fried Eggplant

We got some fresh produce from the parents garden and put together some delicious fresh dishes.  One of which was fried eggplant paired with fish in a lemon caper sauce.

Ingredients for Fried Eggplant:
1/2 cup of flour
salt and pepper
1 egg
1tbs water
4 tbs. of olive oil (could use more)



Mix together flour, salt, and pepper.  Put egg in bowl/plate and mix with water.  Dip Eggplant in egg wash then flour mixture.  Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Place eggplant in skillet.  Cook 2- 3 mins each side then place on plate with a paper towel.

Lemon Caper Sauce:
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tbs white wine
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
Mix together
 
Add
2 tbs shallots
1 tbs drained capers
1 garlic clove

Pour sauce over fish bake 15 mins at 350

Sunset On The Hudson

Out for a walk in Riverside Park at sunset - ran into Aunt Jeanne and her friend Marylin.  

We sat on a park bench and enjoyed the sunset together.

Happy Birthday Bo

 GO HOGS!

(too bad it's not red)